The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to confirm Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as secretary of Health and Human Services by a 65-31 vote.

Sen. Sam Brownback, a conservative Republican and Sen. Pat Roberts, a "moderate," both voted to confirm Sebelius.

Senate Republicans made an effort during the day’s deliberations to depict Sebelius’ affiliation with Wichita abortionist Dr. George Tiller as a disqualifying factor. Also targeted: her pro-abortion stance and what many called a “lack of experience.”

“The leader of the department of Health and Human Services should be balanced and reasonable,” said Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Kentucky. “There is nothing in Gov. Sebelius’ record that makes me think she is either of these things when it comes to protecting the life of the unborn.”

Bunning also criticized Sebelius for vetoing many bills passed by the Kansas Legislature.

“I can not support the nominee of someone to be the leader of our Health and Human Services that does not support life,” he said. “Her record on abortion issues in Kansas is dismal.”

Mary Kay Culp, executive director for Kansans for Life said she was impressed that senators at least brought up Sebelius’ ties with Dr. George Tiller. During committee hearings, Sebelius faced virtually no difficult questions on abortion or anything else. Roberts voted with the committee majority supporting her.

“The more time we had, the more facts that would have come out, the more senators that would have voted against her,” Culp told Kansas Liberty. “They just barely scratched the surface.”

Senate Democrats pointed to Sebelius’ ability to be elected as a Democratic governor in a Republican state for two terms, citing it as evidence that Sebelius is capable of working across party lines.

A Democrat has been governor of Kansas for all but 20 of the last 50 years, and the state has never elected a conservative governor.

“Why was it that all these Republicans got excited about voting for Kathleen Sebelius?” asked Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri. “It’s because she demonstrated when she was commissioner of insurance in Kansas that she was about fighting for them…not only did she have the guts to run for governor, she won which was remarkable and here is the more remarkable part-she went to Topeka, the capital of Kansas, and began working with the Republicans.”

Her most notable bipartisan success came in 2005, when Sebelius worked with "moderates" in the Senate leadership, including Senate President Steve Morris and Vice-President John Vratil,  to outmaneuver House conservatives and impose a mammoth court-ordered increase in education funding.

House Majority Leader Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell, said that the idea that Sebelius was largely supported by Republicans, and was capable of working across party lines, was a common misconception.

“She is what the mainstream media made her,” Merrick told Kansas Liberty. “She only worked well with the Republicans she could manipulate.”

Sen. Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, also said she thought there were several misconceptions about Sebelius that may have erroneously helped Sebelius' political career.

“She has only had nearly seven years of success in Kansas because the Republicans control the Legislature and corrected her spending habit and didn’t pass tax increases that she wanted,” Wagle told Kansas Liberty. “Her success was because of the Republican Legislature and not because of her plan for the state of Kansas.”

Wagle said she was concerned with how Sebelius would impact Americans in her new position.

“This is a good day for Kansas, but its certainly not a good day for Americans,” she said. “I am quite concerned she is going to try and nationalize health care, and we could easily lose whatever free market system we have left in health care, and we could easily lose a lot of choice. So, this is good for Kansas but not good for the nation.”

- Holly Smith

The Week in Review